We recently sat down with Nadine Chammas, a Lifestyle Specialist and founder of the life coaching company, The Life Director, to discuss some of what makes life coaching such an effective tool in self-development.

Lif.

What is life coaching?
To me, life coaching is entirely about mastering the art of being alive.

How does an effective life plan impact people’s day to day lives?We all live busy lives in today’s world, with a lot happening around us and a desire to be aware of almost everything. A clear, detailed plan that encompasses all of your responsibilities, social life, self-development, spirituality, hobbies and future goals is central to accomplishing your objectives in life.

Helping people create positive, healthy and happy lifestyle programmes is a large part of what I do, because that guidance will help them focus on and achieve their desires in the long term. The phrase ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ is just as true in your life as it is in any strategic business sense.

What habits do you see in your clients that prevent them from being happy?
First and foremost; procrastination. It’s the number one habit that prevents people from moving forward in their lives and accomplishing their goals. While procrastination always feels like a safe place to hide from the things we know we need to do, our delaying tactics are generally fear-motivated. It’s fear of the unknown that holds us back and keeps us stuck in the more negative aspects of our lives when, in reality, we all have the power to change and influence things for the better.

And how do you suggest people overcome a habit like procrastination?
There are a great many tools and techniques to help us overcome the more negative emotions and motivators. It’s a process that begins with truly understanding the root cause of that negativity – fear, in the case of procrastination – and learning to empower ourselves with the self-awareness and positivity to counter them.

If someone wanted to develop a life plan towards happiness today, where would you suggest they start?
Happiness is a state of mind. It’s not a destination. The first step in building an effective life plan lies with the realisation that we can all live our lives feeling happy and grateful. So, where do they start? By defining what happiness means for them and building their lives around that as a goal. Being true to ourselves is the first step in that journey.

NADINE’S TOP TIP

We give ourselves hints every day on how and where to begin improving our lives, we just generally fail to pay attention. So start listening. One of the best places to start the journey towards self-improvement is with that voice in your head that so often says ‘I wish I was better at…’. Committing yourself to improving whatever you insert at the end of that sentence is a great place to start!

Thanks for subscribing. Keep an eye on your inbox - we'll be in touch soon!